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Interactive entertainment system for presenting supplemental interactive content together with continuous video programs

a technology of interactive entertainment and video program, which is applied in the field of interactive entertainment systems, can solve the problems of not being able to support interactive control, not being able to create and distribute interactive programs, and not being able to enjoy non-interactive viewing at all

Inactive Publication Date: 2005-01-20
ROVI TECH CORP
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0020] Embedding the layout instructions in the supplemental content advantageously returns control of the presentation to the content developers. T...

Problems solved by technology

However, as consumers have learned from playing video games on their televisions, non-interactive viewing is not nearly as fun or sensory rich as interactive entertainment.
However, there remains a significant hurdle concerning how to create and distribute interactive programs.
The TV environment poses a problem in that the programs are typically delivered as a broadcast of a continuous data stream, which inherently does not support interactive control.
Interlacing interactive content presents a difficult design issue.
The drawback with the Intercast technology is that it rigidly adheres to the paned presentation.
Accordingly, the content providers are significantly limited in what they can create in the way of a full interactive media event.

Method used

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  • Interactive entertainment system for presenting supplemental interactive content together with continuous video programs
  • Interactive entertainment system for presenting supplemental interactive content together with continuous video programs
  • Interactive entertainment system for presenting supplemental interactive content together with continuous video programs

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Embodiment Construction

[0029]FIG. 2 shows an interactive entertainment system 20 implemented as an interactive television (ITV) system. System 20 includes a centralized headend 22 which is configured to provide continuous video content programs to multiple subscribers. These programs might include traditional broadcast TV shows, movies, games, and the like. The programs are transmitted as a continuous data stream, which is non-interactive in itself.

[0030] Each subscriber has a viewer computing unit 24. In the illustrated implementation, the viewer computing unit is embodied as a set-top box (STB) 26 coupled to a television (TV) 28. The STB 26 receives digital video signals from headend 22 and controls which programs are displayed on the TV 28. The STB 26 is controlled by the viewer through use of a panel control located on its face, or a hand held remote control unit 30. Instead of a separate STB, however, a viewer computing unit can be incorporated in the TV itself. In addition to televisions, the viewe...

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PUM

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Abstract

An interactive entertainment system enables presentation of supplemental interactive content along side traditional broadcast video programs, such as television shows and movies. The programs are broadcast in a conventional manner. The supplemental content is supplied as part of the same program signal over the broadcast network, or separately over another distribution network. A viewer computing unit is located at the viewer's home to present the program and supplemental content to a viewer. When the viewer tunes to a particular channel, the viewer computing unit consults an electronic programming guide (EPG) to determine if the present program carried on the channel is interactive. If it is, the viewer computing unit launches a browser. The browser uses a target specification stored in the EPG to activate a target resource containing the supplemental content for enhancing the broadcast program. The target resource contains display layout instructions prescribing how the supplemental content and the video content program are to appear in relation to one another when displayed. When the data from the target resource is downloaded, the viewer computing unit is responsive to the layout instructions obtained from the target resource to display the supplemental content concurrently with the video content program. Embedding the layout instructions in the supplemental content advantageously places control of the presentation to the content developers. The developers are free to arrange the data and video in any manner they choose.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 349,638, filed, Jul. 8, 1999, which is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 6,240,555, filed March 29, 1996.TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] This invention relates to interactive entertainment systems, such as interactive television or interactive computing network systems. More particularly, this invention relates to methods for presenting supplemental interactive content in conjunction with continuous video programs to enable viewer interactivity with the otherwise non-interactive video programs. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Video content programs, such as TV shows and pay-per-view movies, are delivered to a viewer as a continuous data stream. Today, programs are most commonly distributed using a wireless broadcast system, or a cable system. In the first instance, the programs are broadcast over a wireless network and received at individual homes through an antenna or satellite dish. In the latter case,...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): H04N5/445H04N21/431H04N21/433H04N21/462H04N21/4722H04N21/8543H04N21/858
CPCH04N5/44543H04N5/44591H04N21/4312H04N21/4314H04N21/8586H04N21/4622H04N21/4722H04N21/8543H04N21/4332H04N21/4316H04N21/47
Inventor SHOFF, DANIEL J.BRONSON, VALERIE L.MATTHEWS, JOSEPH H. IIILAWLER, FRANK A.
Owner ROVI TECH CORP
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